BIRMINGHAM Repertory Theatre is set for a paw-some festive season as The Hundred and One Dalmatians bursts to life on stage.

Dalmatians Pongo and Missis enjoy an idyllic life with their humans, Mr and Mrs Dearly. Then one day, the house is filled with the patter of tiny paws when Missis gives birth to a litter of adorable puppies. But just as the Dearlys get used to their new housemates, the puppies mysteriously vanish.

With the help of the canine community and an Old English Sheepdog, Pongo and Missis set out on an adventure to find the missing puppies. Their quest leads them to the vicious Cruella de Vil. She hates dogs but loves fur coats and has set her sights on a certain black and white spotty pattern. Will the animals be able to get home safely in time for Christmas?

Children and adults alike will be gripped by this magical tale as it comes to life live on stage, complete with beautiful staging and mesmerising puppetry from director Tessa Walker and designer Jamie Vartan who collaborated for the record-breaking 2015 production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Dodie Smith’s delightful and much-loved tale, adapted for the stage by the writer and director of the hugely popular Nativity! films, Debbie Isitt, is sure to get tails wagging this Christmas.

As part of The REP’s commitment to making theatre accessible to everyone the entire run of The Hundred and One Dalmatians will be Audio Described and Captioned, meaning that audiences with visual or hearing impairments can enjoy these services on any performance.

The show runs from Thursday, November 30 until Saturday, January 13. For tickets, see Birmingham-rep.co.uk/Dalmatians